Chapter 6 - The West Corridor
By midnight, the Carrington estate had fallen into a heavy, suffocating silence. Rain began to patter against the high glass windows of the grand hall, casting long, sliding shadows across the marble floors. Down in the security office, two guards watched the monitors, ensuring Claire remained confined to her room in the east wing.
Deep in the west wing, far beyond the reach of the security cameras, a small figure walked silently across the hardwood floor. Lily wore her white cotton nightgown, her bare feet making no sound as she navigated the dark corridor using memory alone. In her right hand, she held a small pocket flashlight; in her left, she clutched the silver key engraved with the number 17.
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She stopped at the very end of the hallway before a heavy, dark oak door bound with tarnished iron hardware. The door had no nameplate, only a small brass plaque mounted above the frame bearing the Roman numerals XVII.
Lily raised the flashlight, illuminating the keyhole centered in the iron plate. Her small hands didn't tremble as she inserted the silver key into the lock. It fit with absolute precision. With a firm turn of her wrist, the heavy internal tumblers clicked open with a deep, metallic thud that echoed softly in the quiet hall.
